[ the trail ]  Google has this killer app called gmap pedometer in which you use their mapping system to plot out a path. In return you'll receive the mileage and elevation. Way cool! Here's is the complete trail I've been running on.

[ Small movement ]  I had a Lipoma removed from my back yesterday. It felt small but once the Dr. pulled it out if was like the size of a golf ball. Instead of growing along the muscle it grew inward. Not too painfull but there are bursts of pain the shoot through the area as if someone was sticking a knife in me. The stitches will not be removed for 2 weeks in which time I'll have another much larger Lipoma removed from the other side of my lower back. As I've shed more pounds, 31 now, the lumps are becoming more cosmetically unattractive and remain painful to the touch. I am such a Baby! ;) Although I'll need to redirect my workouts away from spin and trekking, to avoid any stretching of the stitches, I will still be running my 12 miler this weekend.

Next weekend I reach my part of the training where I start running hills. I can't wait! Although it will be painfull, it is challenging and sort of fun. :)

[ SAR in the News ]  This is an old (last year) NBC News reel that was aired about our team. It's short but it does explain what we do and that we are always in need of volunteers. You can view it here. If you'd like more info on us and/or thinking of joining, please visit our SAR site.
[ Running ]  Training for the marathon continues. Last week my maintenance run on Thursday was a tough one but I made it through. I just get sooo bored running on a treadmill and staring at a white wall.

Today I packed my new running shoes and I can't wait to get them on! My old shoes are simply no longer supporting me. So it's back to the treadmill and testing the new shoes. Sure I can run in the rain but I need to stay healthy for my long runs on the weekend.

Speaking of long runs, last Saturday was the frist time I ran in temperatures under 40. It was 38 degree's at 7am but it was fun and we had a solid run. This Sunday looks to be 42 degree's in the morning, not bad, and running my 11 miles which is two miles shy of my past bench mark of 13 (1/2 marathons). I can't wait to break that 13 mile mark!

A fun Napoleon Dynamite quote; "Well, I have all your equipment in my locker. You should probably come get it cause I can't fit my numchucks in there anymore."

[ Snow Everywhere ]   Snow is down to 483 feet this morning in the San Jose bay area. Sweeeeeeeet!

[ Meyntununs Run ]   Ran my maintenance run today. Took me a while to reach the gym as I couldn't get away from the office. One of those days where everyone lines up outside your cube with a ticket. Next! Sorry, we are all out of Glazed Blueberry Donut Holes. I ate them all... since that run I can't stop eating. It's only an hour and a half afterwards and I feel like I've been eating since I got off the treadmill. I did my 30min maintenance run with two 12-1 intervals and the last 8 straight out. That last 8 min kicked my butt with a level of 6.6 and a 2.0 hill. I sweated so much I almost slipped off the treadmill. Gross eh? Yea, the guy next to me thought so too when he wiped the sweat off himself realizing it wasn't his sweat! YUCK! I'm glad I got in there and ran, it felt good but what didn't feel good was having to a choice to listen to Top 20 Country Music or Rap as I forgot my Shuffle at home. I opted for the Country.. it was horrible. It only lasted 15min before I shut it off and listened to the white noise coming out of the TV with the satellite off. So the good thing there was I was able to listen to myself run. Ever do that? Try it, you'll notice how loud you can be..... I'm a flipping noise maker ;)

[ Damn you BMI! ]  Sorry for the lack of blogs but we've been swamped, of late. So we've been... since the marriage we bought a house, got our asses back into school, training for a marathon and loving life together like no other day! :)

Cath and I just celebrated our 4 month anniversary and although I was at school that night she did get the opportunity to have a sister night :) I flipped over my photo calendar and this month pictures us at the alter staring into each others eyes. :)

The house is coming along. Striving we are to make it our home and not until then will we feel that. But we are getting there room by room. It's kind of fun going into the garage and updating our white board with completed tasks. But that list seems to always obtain a new task each week :) But we love having a home and feel very fortunate to have one.

School is going good. Cath has a really hard class and with two more coming up. I finished my first class, a short one, but it was a good Accounting class; Personal Finances. I need to go hunt down another class to take and get ready for the next semester.

The marathon training is coming along good. My pace is up to 10:22 on my short runs. My long runs are here and I need to work hard on staying healthy and keeping a good pace. This will be tough esp. since my hill runs are just a couple weeks away. Oh boy! I'm on my second week of two spin classes a week and a trekking class. Both are kicking my ass but their a lot of fun!

I dropped more weight and last night I was thinking I need to check my BMI. The last time I checked it, some months ago, I was weighing in at 265 lbs and I cried when I read that I was considered Obese. Ok, I know, I felt obese but I didn't like it and needed to change it... well this mornings weigh in is at... 226! BAM! Checking the BMI this morning I noted that I am still Obese. Argh! Damn you BMI! Ok no worries as I am setting my new goal weight from 220 to 170. Watch out BMI I'm coming to get you!